


Cave Depths

by Hungry_AloeLeaf



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Eggs, Headaches & Migraines, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Magical Creatures of Inspiration AU, Self-Indulgent, Self-Indulgent-ish, Skypainter, Torch-cat-fire-thingy, and also furk's, and make One taller, comfort story, great, idk what any of that means, if there's someone I trust sometimes, it's old me, just. started to feel like i'm the ONLY one who likes THEM, now I have to go back over all of my recent works, plucking out feathers is deliberate and hurts on his part, slowly returning to writing strength, so current me will submit to old me's wishes, so many Firestar ships in the tags today, still working on a name for Fire's species
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:48:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25979233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hungry_AloeLeaf/pseuds/Hungry_AloeLeaf
Summary: After leaving the Clans in tragedy, two mates have to care for something new that they've found.or something like thatstory's still forming in my head
Relationships: Firestar/Onewhisker (Warriors)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10





	1. Present: Plucked Feathers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As a warning,  
> there's implication of self-harm by feather plucking
> 
> so if that makes you feel uncomfy, perhaps refrain from reading!!

“Onewhisker… I know you’re in here.”

Hissing in the dark, the small paw ignited, casting light in the dark cave. The fiery tom padded forward with a sigh, scooping up the two squirrels and the sticks in his teeth.

“Guess it’ll be the same as always. Just great.”

The shadows flickered simultaneously with the flames smoking from the two paws as he slowly advanced to the back of the cave. Gradually a familiar scent met his nostrils the further he went, growing stronger despite the cave’s air growing even colder with each step. The flicking licks of light illuminated the space just enough for him to see a feathery tail peeking out from behind a rock. In the very same place where he’d left it. Probably hadn’t shifted an inch.

“You can’t keep doing this, you know.” The former Thunderclan warrior let the food and brushwood drop with a stony clatter. “You need to at least move sometime. Start living again.”

He scooted the twigs away a tail-length away with his hind foot, using his front paw to set the wood on fire. Feathers flashed in the ginger tom’s vision once the light grew brighter, clearly scattered all around the disheveled ball of wings and tabby fur. Fireheart had to swallow down the growl rumbling in his chest.

“…Have you been plucking out your feathers again?”

The striped tail finally thumped once on the stone.

“I was _preening_ -”

“Like you lose this many feathers just preening.” He snapped before he could stop himself, sweeping up the tiny mountain of feathers with his tail.

No reply came after that. Fireheart difficultly forced himself to draw in a breath, letting the air rush into his lungs and rush out. He repeated the step multiple times before he felt calm enough to settle beside the ruffled wing.

“Did you do anything else while I was gone hunting?” He hooked the prey with a claw and dragged it in front of his mate’s beak. “And I brought you something. A squirrel… know it’s not your favorite, but it was the most I could find without going too far.”

The beak turned away, completely disinterested.

“Come on… last time you ate something was like, three days ago! You can’t keep doing this.”

“ _Shut up and go away_.”

“I’ll shut up and go away when you start being yourself again.”

The Skypainter snarled wordlessly, shooting upwards on shaky paws.

“I’m fine!” The gaunt frame swayed, and the creature’s talons scraped at the floor. Onewhisker continued on, voice growing a little fainter. “I just... w-want to b-be left alone…”

Fireheart sat up, ears twitching.

“You’re breathing really hard, Whiskers…”

“I already told you,” With a soft hiss, brown tabby hesitated, irritated expression contorting to an agonized appearance. “ _Aah_.”

“What’s wrong-”

“ _Nothing._ ” But he sank back down into his makeshift nest, amber eyes screwed shut. “Headache…” Onewhisker admitted once he’d settled back down. “It’s bad. Feels like it’s squeezing my head.”

Fireheart blinked over at the brown tabby sympathetically.

Onewhisker’s eyes flew open when a warmth shoved itself against his wing.

“You need to start taking care of yourself…” The desperation in the fiery tom’s mew was hardly concealed. “You’re never going to get better if you don’t.”

“Who said that I needed to ‘get better’?”

“Someone who cares about you.”

“Where?” The tabby glanced around then. “I don’t see anybody.”

An affronted squeak left the ginger tom before he glimpsed the flippant gleam in his mate’s eyes.

“It’s been a while since you’ve made a joke, turkey wings.”

“Don’t expect a show every day, smoke-breath.” The glimmer lasted a few more heartbeats before the amber orbs dimmed again. “Now go away.”

“Not _again!_ ”

“Should’ve done it when I asked you the first time.”

“You know how I feel about leaving you alone for too long…”

“Oh, right.” The former Windclan tom grunted with a roll of his eyes. “You start to miss me.”

“…Well yes, but also I get so worried!”

“You always worry.” Onewhisker’s tone shifted from neutral to sullen.

“Well, you always just sit here and do nothing.”

“And you,” The wings flapped out threateningly from the Skypainter’s sunken sides. “Always manage to push me to my _limit_.”

Fireheart gulped, scooting to the left while plastering a nervous grin on his muzzle.

“I suppose I could leave you alone for now.” He got to his paws, emerald eyes narrowing. “But when I return, half of one of those squirrels better be gone. Or else.”

“Or else what?” Onewhisker murmured, only sounding tired.

“OR ELSE,” Fireheart leaned over the taller tom, whiskers twitching against the striped cheek. “You’ll be screaming in intense laughter when I tickle you to death. It won’t be pretty.”

“'Not pretty' is the perfect way I’d describe your face after you try something and I mangle it…”

“I love you.” The ginger tom bonked his nose to the brown ear softly. “I guarantee that I’ll be back. Soon.”

The amber eyes squinted at him irritably, before closing with a grumble.

“I’m going to take a nap.”

“I bet you’ll be dreaming all about me!” It was a hopeless attempt to bring up the sour mood hanging in the atmosphere.

“…Sure.”

Apart from the crackle of the burning wood, the cave fell silent once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gee i wonder what on earth could've happened
> 
> i wondering even more if i'm even going to write about it  
> kinda wanted to put this in Warriors Shorts, but didn't want to have a bunch of THEM things in there, because wouldn't that get old???
> 
> edit: ... I'm mad at myself rn. Now I have to go back over everything and make ONe taller I'm scrEAMING-


	2. Past: Little Wonders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OWO wat this be? this be THEM but with more THEMS?
> 
> Let's have a little look-see, shall we?

“I wonder if I accidentally scrambled them… did I accidentally scramble them?” The feathery chest was heaving in anxious breaths.

“It can’t be more scrambled than you are right now,” Fireheart’s tail thumped the dead twigs in exasperation. “How on earth do you think you could’ve done that while simply carrying them? Honestly, just relax.”

The smooth, light purple speckled shell received a gentle touch with the pale-yellow beak when the brown wing nestled the three ovoids closer.

“That’s easy for you to say!” Onewhisker glanced in his mate’s direction to caw at last, awkwardly keeping the newly-laid eggs to his side. “You don’t have to deal with instincts or nesting or anything like that…”

“You think I don’t have to deal with instincts?” A ginger brow lifted disbelievingly. “I have to keep from incinerating anyone to a crisp who looks in your direction!”

“Pretty sure that’s just called ‘being jealous’.”

“Yeah, usually I’m not. And usually I’m not that keen on cooking anyone alive either,” The Thunderclan tom pointed out, settling down on the opposite side of the shielded egg. “You know I’ll do anything for you and the chicks, don’t you?”

“I would’ve already ripped out your lungs if you wouldn’t.” But the amber eyes were gleaming in amusement now.

“So, you know that anything that so much as lifts a claw to hurt you or it will get their tail burnt?”

“…Of course.” The tabby glanced downwards, a tiny smile twitching on his beak.

“So,” Fireheart lifted up Onewhisker’s chin so he could gaze into the amber eyes. “You know that you’re safe.”

“I suppose so… But you can never be too certain.”

“You worry too much.” The ginger paw pulled away from Onewhisker’s chin, letting the colder air rush onto it.

“You worry too little.”

“Hey now, I worry just enough!”

“That’s what you would think.” The smile grew a tiny bit bigger. “All I know is that you’d better keep yourself safe too.”

“Didn’t even have to say it once, Onesie. I always want to be here for you,” Fireheart’s warm gaze dropped to the three eggs beneath the downy brown feathers. “And them.”

Onewhisker shoved the tom with his wing, chuckling.

“Guess you didn’t think tonight was sappy enough.”

“Not nearly enough.” Fireheart’s purr came with a little boop to Onewhisker’s beak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short, but I felt that the chapter was finished enough! Didn't think that there was anymore to add
> 
> But lookie! Not ONLY do we get two cuties, we get to have three more! WOOO THIS COULD NOT GET ANY BETTER FOR ME-


End file.
